Barry Upole

Training & Employment Goals Achieved for Garrett County Client!

Barry Upole has always been willing to work hard as he proved while working on his family’s farm growing up in Garrett County, MD. Now with a young family of his own to support, Barry knew he wanted to secure a great future for them. He contacted the Garrett County office of the Western Maryland Consortium in January 2019 ready to make a change and take the first step towards his future.

Barry chose to pursue CDL A credentials through Garrett College’s Mountain Top Trucking Driving Institute and because he fell within income guidelines, he was able to receive full funding for the class through the Western Maryland Consortium (WMC). The mission of WMC is to help workers improve their skills and find employment that leads to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Barry went through the process with his Career Counselor to get registered and verified for funding and then pursued the class with determination.

Staff at the trucking institute not only cheered him on toward success but expressed how he showed up with a positive attitude and a smile each day. His driving instructor stated that Barry was an EXCELLENT student and further commented that he was one of the best for doing the maneuvers and over-the-road driving. He finished the class successfully and was able to secure full time employment with benefits with a local trucking company almost immediately after completing his training.

Barry will celebrate his one-year anniversary as full-time truck driver in April 2020. He makes a good wage for his family, gets plenty of hours, and enjoys what he is doing daily. The Western Maryland Consortium was happy to be a partner in helping Barry achieve his training and employment goals!